Canelo Alvarez to challenge Christian Mbilli for WBC title on October 31

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will challenge Christian Mbilli for the WBC super-middleweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 31 after Turki Alalshikh finally confirmed the rescheduled fight.

The 12-round contest will headline the Mexico vs. The World card on DAZN pay-per-view and will also be available to DAZN Ultimate subscribers. Tickets have gone on general sale, although no undercard bouts have yet been formally announced.

Alvarez and Mbilli were originally due to meet on September 12, but the event was postponed after a family matter delayed the Mexican’s training camp. Alvarez then requested a move to late October for what will be the third fight of his four-fight agreement with Alalshikh.

The delay was followed by speculation that regional tensions could lead to the show being relocated to Las Vegas, where Alvarez has fought regularly throughout his career. The US State Department continues to maintain a Level 3 ‘Reconsider Travel’ advisory for Saudi Arabia, citing the threat of drone and missile attacks and wider armed conflict in the region.

Alalshikh confirmed that the event would remain in Riyadh, writing on social media: “Canelo Alvarez takes on Christian Mbilli, with a stacked lineup of boxing stars joining them at Riyadh Season.”

VADA testing begins

Alvarez and Mbilli have enrolled in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association’s enhanced testing programme for the title fight. Their enrolment followed concerns over the delay in Sela, the event planner, contacting and paying VADA to begin the additional testing. Both fighters are also registered with the WBC’s Clean Boxing Program.

Alvarez has regularly undergone VADA testing since returning a positive result for clenbuterol in 2018. He was suspended and his rematch with Gennady Golovkin was delayed until September of that year, when Alvarez won by majority decision. Mbilli has never returned a positive performance-enhancing drug test.

The championship picture at 168lbs changed when Terence Crawford defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in September 2025 to become undisputed champion. Crawford retired in December, after which Mbilli was elevated from interim champion to full WBC title-holder.

Mbilli, 29-0-1 with 24 stoppages, won the interim belt by stopping Maciej Sulecki in the first round in June 2025. The Cameroonian-born, Montreal-based champion last fought on the Alvarez-Crawford undercard, where he and Lester Martinez contested a split draw over 10 rounds.

For Alvarez, 63-3-2 with 39 stoppages, the fight offers an immediate route back to world-title status after his defeat by Crawford. The 36-year-old from Guadalajara has won titles in four weight divisions and twice held all four major belts at super-middleweight, but he will return from more than a year out against an unbeaten champion known for his pressure and power.

The supporting bill has yet to be finalised. A vacant IBF junior-welterweight title fight between Lindolfo Delgado and Arthur Biyarslanov has been discussed, as has a WBO featherweight title defence for Rafael Espinoza, but neither Delgado nor Espinoza had received a contract as of Monday.